IO MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



supplies furnished students and investigators, which had pre- 

 viously not been accounted for. It was thought thus to place 

 the department on a sound business basis, so that in its future 

 development no uneasiness might be felt by its expansion. It 

 was found necessary also during the year to raise the general 

 price level 40 per cent., by two successive 20 per cent, increments, 

 over pre-war figures. The items charged to the Department 

 are the following: General expense (including salaries and sup- 

 plies), administration expense, boat expense, fish trap expense, 

 maintenance of buildings and grounds of the department, pro- 

 portional share of pumping expense, truck, rental and deprecia- 

 tion. The credits of the Supply Department consist of sales 

 .and (for 1919) a credit of $3,000, the estimated value of ma- 

 terial furnished students and investigators. The total income 

 of the Supply Department on this basis for 1919 amounted to 

 $36,671.08, and the total expense to $32,466.21. The previous 

 largest year's business of the Department was $21,096.65 in 1916. 

 Making due allowance for the $3,000 credit in 1919, not pre- 

 viously allowed, and also for the 40 per cent, increase in prices, 

 operative only during the latter half of the year, it will be seen 

 that a most gratifying increase in business was effected. 



The development of this department requires additional labora- 

 tory space and better winter quarters for the personnel. There- 

 fore with the approval of the Board of Trustees an additional 

 frame building adjacent to the present quarters was begun in the 

 fall of 1919. This building will provide for all the office and 

 preparation work of the Department, and the old building will 

 be used mainly for storage. 



Another step in the extension of the Supply Department during 

 the year was purchase of a controlling interest in the General 

 Biological Supply House located in Chicago. This house was 

 organized by Dr. M. M. Wells, formerly Assistant Professor of 

 Zoology in the University of Chicago, and is managed entirely 

 by University trained men who can be trusted to maintain high 

 standards. It was hoped to accomplish several purposes by this 

 venture; first, by making Chicago a distributing center for the 

 West considerable savings in time of delivery and in shipping 

 expense can be accomplished; in the second place, new lines of 



